I have followed with keen interest reactions to Dr. Sekou Nkrumah’s interview with the influential Africawatch Magazine which was published by a section of the Ghanaian media. Dr. Nkrumah is reported to have said that President Mills “lacks the charisma, dynamism and strong will to lead Ghana,” and, therefore, supported the suggestion for a contender to challenge him for the party’s flagbearership for the 2012 elections.
Dr. Sekou Nkrumah is also reported to have said that “a lot of people see Mills as an academic and a gentleman. But, in the political arena, you need to be strong-minded, and it looks like this leadership quality is missing in Mills. So I guess we need a more strong-willed, dynamic personality, a charismatic person to inspire national confidence and also to let the population see the national agenda and feel part of it”. In response to whether the Mills government was on course to deliver its pre-election promises of a Better Ghana, Dr. Nkrumah said “Honestly, there is a big question mark because since the NDC came to power in January 2009, there has not really been any serious change in real terms”. He continued, “From where I am standing, I can see clearly that since coming to power, the Mills government has not fulfilled its promises. I know it is not politically correct, but that’s a fact”.
Unfortunately, as is to be expected, Dr. Nkrumah’s interview has been received with mixed reactions. Whilst some think he spoke his mind; others have questioned the appropriateness of his comments. Some political opponents of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have described it as a true verdict on the performance of the Mills administration.
Social commentators or serial callers aligned to the National Democratic Congress have lambasted Dr. Nkrumah with some even making a call for his removal from office. The Deputy Minister of Information, James Agyenim-Boateng’s reaction to the publication in sections of the media has also not helped matters. He is reported in the Ghanaian Times of Wednesday, July 14, 2010 to have said in an interview that Dr. Sekou’s assertions were “baseless and unfounded” because “the facts on the ground don’t support his claim”. While expecting Ghanaians to be the better judges, Mr. Agyenim-Boateng asked Dr. Nkrumah to be truthful and sincere to himself because President Mills had demonstrated extreme commitment towards advancing the welfare of Ghanaians.
I want to believe that the criticisms against Dr. Nkrumah were what necessitated his clarification of what he meant in his interview on Citi FM’s breakfast show on Tuesday, July 13, 2010. In the said interview, he stated that he never intended to undermine the President but was speaking his mind as a Ghanaian. Infact so did I also see his interview with the Africawatch Magazine. Unfortunately, the reaction of some sympathisers of the National Democratic Congress is creating the impression that the government led by President Mills is averse to criticism. Dr. Sekou Nkrumah has been sacked today, July 15, 2010 as the National Coordinator of the National Youth Council.
The Ghanaian Times of Thursday, July 15, 2010 reported that President Mills, a few weeks ago, approved recommendations by the National Youth Council Board for the dismissal of Dr. Nkrumah. The Ghanaian Times cited a source that said the Council’s board found his level of incompetence and non-performance in handling the position of National Coordinator as “very serious”. Deputy Minister of Information James Agyenim-Boateng had also hinted on Joy FM’s “Super Morning Show” on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 that Dr. Nkrumah may be on his way out of the National Youth Council. He however did not want to link Dr. Nkrumah’s dismissal to his comments about the President in the Africawatch Magazine.
Now Dr. Nkrumah has been sacked as the National Coordinator of the National Youth Council after running the place for a little over a year. We have been made to believe that he was sacked because he failed to meet the performance target set for him. At least Madam Esther Cobbah, Board Chairperson of the National Youth Council confirmed in her interview with the Ghanaian Times that the Board had formally written to the Minister of Youth and Sports two weeks ago recommending the dismissal of Dr. Nkrumah. That was after a verbal recommendation was made to the Minister of Youth and Sports about a month ago.
What this means is that Dr. Nkrumah was not sacked because of his comments about President Mills’ leadership style but because of his incompetence. Let us also assume without admitting that his dismissal coincided with the publication of his interview with the Africawatch Magazine. If this assumption turns out to be true, then I am afraid that the coincidences are becoming too many under the leadership of President John Evans Atta Mills.
To begin with, former President Rawlings granted a live interview to Joy FM during one of their midday news bulletins in the early days of the Mills administration when he (the former President) was traveling out of the country. He virtually called for the dismissal of the former service chiefs because they had worked under the administration of former President John Agyekum Kufour. A few days after the call was made, the officers were removed from office. As usual, some members of the opposition New Patriotic Party interpreted it as former President Rawlings “controlling” President Mills. The explanation that was given by government spokespersons was that it was just a coincidence.
Former President Rawlings once again questioned the continuous stay in office of former Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives who served under former President Kufour. Soon after the public pronouncement by former President Rawlings, the former Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives were removed from office. That was also a coincidence.
Again, after National Democratic Congress footsoldiers besieged the party’s headquarters in Accra and demanded the dismissal of the former Chairman of the Confiscated Vehicles Committee (CVC), Mr. Carl Wilson was removed form office. Government officials explained that the dismissal of Mr. Carl Wilson was not influenced by the demonstration of the NDC you as Carl Wilson had been dismissed two days before the demonstration. Interestingly, apart from the few government officials who knew of the dismissal of Mr. Wilson, the vibrant Ghanaian media was unaware of it. That also turned out to be a coincidence.
In addition, I recall when NDC footsoldiers in the Yendi Municipal Assembly forced their Chief Executive to go into exile. The situation was so bad that the Municipal Police Commander said the Police could not arrest the rampaging youth because of the political nature of their action. The footsoldiers were calling for the dismissal of their Chief Executive. Later the President during his tour of the Northern Region met with all the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives in that region. The Ghanaian Times newspaper reported that at the President’s meeting with the Chief Executives; he was asked whether he would fire the Yendi Municipal Chief Executive. The President reportedly said he was not going to dismiss him and any dismissal that he would make would be based on the performance level of the person. Less than a week after the President’s pronouncement, the former Municipal Chief Executive of Yendi and two other District Chief Executives were dismissed by President Mills. Those dismissals also coincided with the agitations of the NDC footsoldiers.
The removal of the former Upper West Regional Minister, Mr. Mahmoud Khalid, I want to believe also coincided with the agitations of some NDC Regional executives and footsoldiers. These footsoldiers had the gut to seize tender documents and destroy them in the process because they wanted the former Regional Minister, Mr. Khalid to be removed from office. Maybe the agitations for his removal just coincided with President Mills’ decision to remove him from office as this happened just a day after that encounter.
The list of coincidences is long but I think those that I have listed will suffice for the purposes of making my argument. I have always given President Mills the benefit of the doubt that these are sheer coincidences except that they are becoming too many for my liking. If care is not taken, it will create the impression that the President may be in charge but may be lacking the courage to take the bold decisions Dr. Sekou Nkrumah spoke about.
I think we do not need to create the impression as though government cannot stomach criticisms. I recall that a couple of months ago when President Mills visited the Eastern Region of Ghana, he indicated that he and his government would welcome constructive criticisms. Unfortunately the facts on the ground do not support that assertion. The way Hon. Alfred Agbesi was treated for expressing his disagreement with the way government was handling the Tema Oil Refinery issue and the dismissal of the former Managing Director of Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), Dr. Kwame Ampofo were what led to his voluntary resignation from the TOR Board although some people still allege that he was forced to resign.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
What is there in a birthday?
I thank the Almighty Allah for adding yet another year to my age. I am most grateful to Him. I believe that there were some people who were probably born on the same day and time that I was born but have not lived to see this day.
I have received a lot of congratulatory messages on my birthday but if I may ask, what at all is there in a birthday? Yes I was born on a Monday, 12th July and this time too it fell on a Monday but what am I supposed to do today?. I remember that when we were young, those of us who were from poor families where served with what is known in the Ghanaian parlance as “OTOR” and an egg anytime it was our birthday. “OTOR” was simply mashed yam with palm oil. This was because our parents were poor and could not throw a party for us and our friends. Neither could they even buy new dresses for us except to continually console us that “God’s time is the best”.
I also remember that there were times that I cried bitterly because my parents did not have the means to prepare “OTOR” and an egg for me on my birthdays. I thought it was an opportunity for me to “enjoy” life since I did not know whether the following year may meet me in life or in my grave.
When I was growing up, I kept on asking myself what could be there in a birthday. If I was born on a Monday, then I think every Monday should be a special day for me and not necessarily wait for the 12th July on which I was born to celebrate. This led me into meditation and asking of thought provoking questions. Sometimes some of the people I questioned thought I had been born ahead of my time since some of the questions were beyond their comprehension. I sometimes looked “stupid” when they made those remarks. However, I have learnt over time one obvious truth in life. The truth is that, the more I celebrate my birthday, the closer I get to my creator and grave.
By getting closer to my creator, I do not necessarily mean I have won the good favour of Him. What it means is that the years He gave me to live on earth are diminishing and I am dying slowly. If for instance I am destined to live for say, one hundred years on earth, with each passing day, my hundred years on earth are diminishing. So do my years diminish with each birthday.
Having come to this realisation, I think what I have to do is to re-examine my past and ask myself some pertinent questions that can never be answered better by anyone than myself. These include the following:
Why was I created?
Have I fulfilled the purpose of my creation?
What have been my strong points in life?
What have been my shortcomings or weak points in life and what do I intend doing to correct them?
Have I been able to achieve the goals I set for myself in the previous years?
What made the attainment of the goals I could not achieve impossible?
If I should die any moment from now, will I be received warmly by my creator and will I be missed by my neighbours?
Do I see myself as someone who has lived a fulfilled life?
I strongly believe that if I am able to answer these pertinent questions with satisfaction, then I can confidently look into the future and project where I am likely to be in say five years if I were to live longer on earth. If I am to do a proper assessment of the over three decades I have lived on the planet earth, I can confidently say without blowing my own trumpet that Alhamdulillaahi (Praise be to Allah) I have acquitted myself creditably. However can I say same about my creator being satisfied with my past deeds? Unfortunately I cannot answer in the affirmative or negative for very obvious reasons. On no single occasion have I received a call from my creator congratulating me on a good work done. Neither have I been able to continuously do only right actions without having to mix those right actions with wrong one whether deliberately or in advertently.
Will I be demanding too much if I aspire to own a radio station in five years from now and perhaps a television station in ten years from today? I believe not. I think with determination, passion and proper understanding of the issues, it should not be difficult for me. I honestly believe that in ten years from today, I should own my media empire.
I also believe that rather than spending so much time making merry on a birthday, everyone should take stock of his or her life anything he or she is celebrating his or her birthday to ask the questions I raised earlier. This will help him or her to plan for the future. But I believe that the ultimate in life is the individual’s ability to decide on what he or she wants to do and how best to do that. That will certainly lead to achieving the noble objectives that were set at the commencement of a particular project.
Knowing how far I have come in life, I think I will dedicate the years ahead of me to do the work of Allah and try to help a lot more people whose situation may be the same as mine or even worse than mine. I think I should continue to help promote and protect the human rights of every individual and also help make the earth a better place for human habitation.
Finally, I think I need some education on what may be in a birthday that I am unaware of so that in future I may avail myself of that opportunity but until then, stay blessed. SALAAMUN ALAIKUM, SHALOM, PEACE BE UNTO YOU.
I have received a lot of congratulatory messages on my birthday but if I may ask, what at all is there in a birthday? Yes I was born on a Monday, 12th July and this time too it fell on a Monday but what am I supposed to do today?. I remember that when we were young, those of us who were from poor families where served with what is known in the Ghanaian parlance as “OTOR” and an egg anytime it was our birthday. “OTOR” was simply mashed yam with palm oil. This was because our parents were poor and could not throw a party for us and our friends. Neither could they even buy new dresses for us except to continually console us that “God’s time is the best”.
I also remember that there were times that I cried bitterly because my parents did not have the means to prepare “OTOR” and an egg for me on my birthdays. I thought it was an opportunity for me to “enjoy” life since I did not know whether the following year may meet me in life or in my grave.
When I was growing up, I kept on asking myself what could be there in a birthday. If I was born on a Monday, then I think every Monday should be a special day for me and not necessarily wait for the 12th July on which I was born to celebrate. This led me into meditation and asking of thought provoking questions. Sometimes some of the people I questioned thought I had been born ahead of my time since some of the questions were beyond their comprehension. I sometimes looked “stupid” when they made those remarks. However, I have learnt over time one obvious truth in life. The truth is that, the more I celebrate my birthday, the closer I get to my creator and grave.
By getting closer to my creator, I do not necessarily mean I have won the good favour of Him. What it means is that the years He gave me to live on earth are diminishing and I am dying slowly. If for instance I am destined to live for say, one hundred years on earth, with each passing day, my hundred years on earth are diminishing. So do my years diminish with each birthday.
Having come to this realisation, I think what I have to do is to re-examine my past and ask myself some pertinent questions that can never be answered better by anyone than myself. These include the following:
Why was I created?
Have I fulfilled the purpose of my creation?
What have been my strong points in life?
What have been my shortcomings or weak points in life and what do I intend doing to correct them?
Have I been able to achieve the goals I set for myself in the previous years?
What made the attainment of the goals I could not achieve impossible?
If I should die any moment from now, will I be received warmly by my creator and will I be missed by my neighbours?
Do I see myself as someone who has lived a fulfilled life?
I strongly believe that if I am able to answer these pertinent questions with satisfaction, then I can confidently look into the future and project where I am likely to be in say five years if I were to live longer on earth. If I am to do a proper assessment of the over three decades I have lived on the planet earth, I can confidently say without blowing my own trumpet that Alhamdulillaahi (Praise be to Allah) I have acquitted myself creditably. However can I say same about my creator being satisfied with my past deeds? Unfortunately I cannot answer in the affirmative or negative for very obvious reasons. On no single occasion have I received a call from my creator congratulating me on a good work done. Neither have I been able to continuously do only right actions without having to mix those right actions with wrong one whether deliberately or in advertently.
Will I be demanding too much if I aspire to own a radio station in five years from now and perhaps a television station in ten years from today? I believe not. I think with determination, passion and proper understanding of the issues, it should not be difficult for me. I honestly believe that in ten years from today, I should own my media empire.
I also believe that rather than spending so much time making merry on a birthday, everyone should take stock of his or her life anything he or she is celebrating his or her birthday to ask the questions I raised earlier. This will help him or her to plan for the future. But I believe that the ultimate in life is the individual’s ability to decide on what he or she wants to do and how best to do that. That will certainly lead to achieving the noble objectives that were set at the commencement of a particular project.
Knowing how far I have come in life, I think I will dedicate the years ahead of me to do the work of Allah and try to help a lot more people whose situation may be the same as mine or even worse than mine. I think I should continue to help promote and protect the human rights of every individual and also help make the earth a better place for human habitation.
Finally, I think I need some education on what may be in a birthday that I am unaware of so that in future I may avail myself of that opportunity but until then, stay blessed. SALAAMUN ALAIKUM, SHALOM, PEACE BE UNTO YOU.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Ghana was destined to lose to Uruguay
In the name of Allah, most Gracious most Merciful. All praises and thanks are due to Allah the Lord and Cherisher of the universe. We praise Him and seek His forgiveness. Whosoever has been guided by Allah, none can misguide him and whosoever has been misguided by Allah, none can guide him. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah. He is alone and has no partner or associate in His sovereignty and I also bear witness that our spiritual chief, our apostle and our true friend Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His true servant and true messenger. May Allah bestow His peace and blessings on the noblest of the prophets, Muhammad (peace be upon him), his companions, his household and all those who followed him in righteousness till the day of reckoning.
As you read this piece, I greet you with the Islamic fraternal salutation of peace and unity encapsulated in the traditional Arabic expression of “AS-SALAAMU ALAIKUM WA RAH-MATULLAAHI TA’ AALAA WA BARAKAATUHU” as I try in my humble way to present to you the Islamic position on predestination or destiny. I am doing this in the context of the performance of the senior national team, the Black Stars of Ghana at the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Out of the six countries that represented the African continent in the competition, it was only Ghana that was able to go beyond the group stage. Indeed the Black Stars of Ghana went as far as the quarter-finals losing eventually to Uruguay after a penalty shootout. This year’s performance is a vast improvement over Ghana’s performance in the Germany 2006 where they lost 3-0 to Brazil at the one-sixteenth stage.
It is interesting to note that in South Africa 2010, the host nation South Africa, as well as defending champions Italy and former champions France failed to go beyond the group stage. Ordinarily, this should have been a consolation to Ghanaians but unfortunately this is not the case for some. They still cannot bring themselves to terms with why striker Asamoah Gyan could not score from the penalty awarded Ghana in the last minute of the extra time of Ghana’s quarter-finals encounter with Uruguay after Luis Suarez deliberately used his hands to prevent Dominic Adiyiah’s header from entering the goal post. Incidentally, Asamoah Gyan who missed the opportunity to score was able to “recover” to score for Ghana during the normal penalty shootout. This is the reason why I have taken it upon myself to use this piece to console my compatriots and indeed all those who supported the Black Stars of Ghana that it was in the infinite knowledge of Allah that Ghana was going to lose under the circumstances that it lost even before the creation of the heaven and earth. It has been written on the “LAW-HUL MAH-FUUDH” or the Preserved Tablet. For instance Allah knew before the creation of Adam (peace be upon him) that from his children will arise prophets, messengers, righteous people as well as people who will do evil. Not even the angels knew this. If they did, they would not have posed the kind of question they put to Allah before Adam’s creation as captured in Qur’an 2:30. The verse under reference says: “And (remember) when your Lord said to the angels: ‘Verily! I am going to place on earth my vicegerent’. They said: ‘Will You place therein those who will make mischief and shed blood, while we glorify you with praises and thanks (Exalted be You from that which they associate with You as partners) and sanctify You.’ He (Allah) said, “I know that which you do not know’.”
According to a long tradition narrated by Umar Ibn Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) in which the angel Gabriel (peace be upon him) appeared in a human form to ask certain questions about Islam, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) indicated that fate is part of faith. Indeed the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have said in yet another tradition transmitted in Tirmidhi that “No slave will truly believe until he believes in fate, its good and bad are from Allah and until he knows that what has befallen him was not going to pass him by, and what has passed him by was not going to befall him.
The Holy Qur’an makes it clear that everything has been created with measure. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) in explaining the context in which the verse “The Day when they will be dragged in the Fire on their faces (it will be said to them) ‘Taste you the touch of Hell’. Certainly, We have created all things with measure” [Qur’an 54:48] said the polytheists of Quraysh came to argue with the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) concerning predestination and it was in response to their argument that Allah revealed the verse. So as far as Islam is concerned, there is no place for disbelief in predestination or fate.
The Muslim is expected to believe that because Allah’s knowledge encompasses everything, He knows what has already happened, what is happening and what will happen. He knows everything about His creation even before their coming into existence. By this knowledge, Allah knows before hand which of His creatures will enter paradise and which ones will enter hell. This fact is buttressed by Qur’an 8:75 which says: “Verily Allah is the All-Knower of everything”. In yet another verse in the Holy Qur’an, Allah says “With Him alone are the keys of all that is hidden, none knows them but He. And He knows whatever there is on the earth and in the sea; not a leaf falls but He knows it . There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth or anything fresh or dry, but is written in a manifest record. (Qur’an 6:59).
The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Allah had written the ordained measures (and their due proportions) of the creation, fifty thousand years before the creation of the heavens and the earth as His Arsh (Throne) was on water.” All our deeds have been pre-recorded in the Preserved Tablet. Whatever the Pen wrote is certainly to be executed. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said to Abu Hurayrah, “The Pen has turned dry after writing what you are going to confront.”
However, the fact that everything that happens is known by Allah before its occurrence must not be an excuse for laziness and recklessness. As is narrated by Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), one day the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was sitting with a stick in his hand with which he was scratching the ground. He raised his head and said, “There is none of you, but has his place assigned either in the Fire or in Paradise.” Then the Companions enquired, “O Allah’s Messenger! Why should we carry on doing good deeds, shall we depend upon predestination and give up work?” The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “No, carry on doing good deeds, for everyone will find it easy (to do) such deeds that will lead him towards that for which he has been created”. Then he recited the verse: “As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah and fears Him, and believes in goodness, We will make smooth for him the path of ease.
It is essential to believe that Allah has willed everything that goes on in the universe. His Will and His pre-ordaining power effectively cover everything. Whatever He Wills, will occur and whatever He does not Will, will never take place. With this at the back of our minds, I believe that we will begin to show appreciation to Allah for how far He took the Black Stars of Ghana in the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa. I was very delighted to hear from the President of the Ghana Football Association, Mr. Kwesi Nyantakyi when he appeared on the “Good Evening Ghana” programme on Metro TV on Thursday, 8th July 2010 with Mr. Talal Fattal that by FIFA’s rating of the performance of the teams that participated in the 2010 World Cup, Ghana is the fifth ranked team at the tournament, ahead of Brazil and Argentina. This according to him was done based on the performance of the four teams that were eliminated at the quarter-finals stage.
Allah said: “If you thank Me for the little mercies I have bestowed on you, I will add more favours unto it for you. But if you show ingratitude, then know that My punishment is very stern for the disbelievers”. We should stop blaming Asamoah Gyan for missing the crucial penalty that could have taken us into the semi-finals. It is not unusual for good players to miss penalties. Players like Diego Maradona, Michel Platini and Roberto Baggio just to mention a few have all missed crucial penalties in their football careers. I believe that it was Allah who did not want us to progress beyond the quarter-final for reasons well know to Him. Unfortunately some of our compatriots did not celebrate our victories with moderation. Can you image the excesses some of ours would have indulged in, in our attempt to celebrate Ghana’s victory to a historic semi-final?.
I have consoled myself with the following verse from Holy Qur’an 57: 22-23 which says: “No calamity befalls the earth or in yourselves but is inscribed in the Book of Decrees, before We bring it into existence, verily that is easy for Allah. In order that you may not be sad over matters that you fail to get, nor rejoice because of that which has been given to you. And Allah likes not vainglorious boasters.”
As you read this piece, I greet you with the Islamic fraternal salutation of peace and unity encapsulated in the traditional Arabic expression of “AS-SALAAMU ALAIKUM WA RAH-MATULLAAHI TA’ AALAA WA BARAKAATUHU” as I try in my humble way to present to you the Islamic position on predestination or destiny. I am doing this in the context of the performance of the senior national team, the Black Stars of Ghana at the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Out of the six countries that represented the African continent in the competition, it was only Ghana that was able to go beyond the group stage. Indeed the Black Stars of Ghana went as far as the quarter-finals losing eventually to Uruguay after a penalty shootout. This year’s performance is a vast improvement over Ghana’s performance in the Germany 2006 where they lost 3-0 to Brazil at the one-sixteenth stage.
It is interesting to note that in South Africa 2010, the host nation South Africa, as well as defending champions Italy and former champions France failed to go beyond the group stage. Ordinarily, this should have been a consolation to Ghanaians but unfortunately this is not the case for some. They still cannot bring themselves to terms with why striker Asamoah Gyan could not score from the penalty awarded Ghana in the last minute of the extra time of Ghana’s quarter-finals encounter with Uruguay after Luis Suarez deliberately used his hands to prevent Dominic Adiyiah’s header from entering the goal post. Incidentally, Asamoah Gyan who missed the opportunity to score was able to “recover” to score for Ghana during the normal penalty shootout. This is the reason why I have taken it upon myself to use this piece to console my compatriots and indeed all those who supported the Black Stars of Ghana that it was in the infinite knowledge of Allah that Ghana was going to lose under the circumstances that it lost even before the creation of the heaven and earth. It has been written on the “LAW-HUL MAH-FUUDH” or the Preserved Tablet. For instance Allah knew before the creation of Adam (peace be upon him) that from his children will arise prophets, messengers, righteous people as well as people who will do evil. Not even the angels knew this. If they did, they would not have posed the kind of question they put to Allah before Adam’s creation as captured in Qur’an 2:30. The verse under reference says: “And (remember) when your Lord said to the angels: ‘Verily! I am going to place on earth my vicegerent’. They said: ‘Will You place therein those who will make mischief and shed blood, while we glorify you with praises and thanks (Exalted be You from that which they associate with You as partners) and sanctify You.’ He (Allah) said, “I know that which you do not know’.”
According to a long tradition narrated by Umar Ibn Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) in which the angel Gabriel (peace be upon him) appeared in a human form to ask certain questions about Islam, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) indicated that fate is part of faith. Indeed the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have said in yet another tradition transmitted in Tirmidhi that “No slave will truly believe until he believes in fate, its good and bad are from Allah and until he knows that what has befallen him was not going to pass him by, and what has passed him by was not going to befall him.
The Holy Qur’an makes it clear that everything has been created with measure. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) in explaining the context in which the verse “The Day when they will be dragged in the Fire on their faces (it will be said to them) ‘Taste you the touch of Hell’. Certainly, We have created all things with measure” [Qur’an 54:48] said the polytheists of Quraysh came to argue with the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) concerning predestination and it was in response to their argument that Allah revealed the verse. So as far as Islam is concerned, there is no place for disbelief in predestination or fate.
The Muslim is expected to believe that because Allah’s knowledge encompasses everything, He knows what has already happened, what is happening and what will happen. He knows everything about His creation even before their coming into existence. By this knowledge, Allah knows before hand which of His creatures will enter paradise and which ones will enter hell. This fact is buttressed by Qur’an 8:75 which says: “Verily Allah is the All-Knower of everything”. In yet another verse in the Holy Qur’an, Allah says “With Him alone are the keys of all that is hidden, none knows them but He. And He knows whatever there is on the earth and in the sea; not a leaf falls but He knows it . There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth or anything fresh or dry, but is written in a manifest record. (Qur’an 6:59).
The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Allah had written the ordained measures (and their due proportions) of the creation, fifty thousand years before the creation of the heavens and the earth as His Arsh (Throne) was on water.” All our deeds have been pre-recorded in the Preserved Tablet. Whatever the Pen wrote is certainly to be executed. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said to Abu Hurayrah, “The Pen has turned dry after writing what you are going to confront.”
However, the fact that everything that happens is known by Allah before its occurrence must not be an excuse for laziness and recklessness. As is narrated by Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), one day the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was sitting with a stick in his hand with which he was scratching the ground. He raised his head and said, “There is none of you, but has his place assigned either in the Fire or in Paradise.” Then the Companions enquired, “O Allah’s Messenger! Why should we carry on doing good deeds, shall we depend upon predestination and give up work?” The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “No, carry on doing good deeds, for everyone will find it easy (to do) such deeds that will lead him towards that for which he has been created”. Then he recited the verse: “As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah and fears Him, and believes in goodness, We will make smooth for him the path of ease.
It is essential to believe that Allah has willed everything that goes on in the universe. His Will and His pre-ordaining power effectively cover everything. Whatever He Wills, will occur and whatever He does not Will, will never take place. With this at the back of our minds, I believe that we will begin to show appreciation to Allah for how far He took the Black Stars of Ghana in the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa. I was very delighted to hear from the President of the Ghana Football Association, Mr. Kwesi Nyantakyi when he appeared on the “Good Evening Ghana” programme on Metro TV on Thursday, 8th July 2010 with Mr. Talal Fattal that by FIFA’s rating of the performance of the teams that participated in the 2010 World Cup, Ghana is the fifth ranked team at the tournament, ahead of Brazil and Argentina. This according to him was done based on the performance of the four teams that were eliminated at the quarter-finals stage.
Allah said: “If you thank Me for the little mercies I have bestowed on you, I will add more favours unto it for you. But if you show ingratitude, then know that My punishment is very stern for the disbelievers”. We should stop blaming Asamoah Gyan for missing the crucial penalty that could have taken us into the semi-finals. It is not unusual for good players to miss penalties. Players like Diego Maradona, Michel Platini and Roberto Baggio just to mention a few have all missed crucial penalties in their football careers. I believe that it was Allah who did not want us to progress beyond the quarter-final for reasons well know to Him. Unfortunately some of our compatriots did not celebrate our victories with moderation. Can you image the excesses some of ours would have indulged in, in our attempt to celebrate Ghana’s victory to a historic semi-final?.
I have consoled myself with the following verse from Holy Qur’an 57: 22-23 which says: “No calamity befalls the earth or in yourselves but is inscribed in the Book of Decrees, before We bring it into existence, verily that is easy for Allah. In order that you may not be sad over matters that you fail to get, nor rejoice because of that which has been given to you. And Allah likes not vainglorious boasters.”
Sunday, June 27, 2010
About Me
This space serves as a platform for Abdur-Rashid Anyetei Odoi to express his views on social, political and econmic issues mainly from an African perspective.
I have over ten years experience in broadcasting. I joined Radio Univers 105.7 fm in August 1998 as a student volunteer broadcast journalist when I first entered the University of Ghana as a level 100 student and has since undertaken various sandwich courses in the areas of broadcast journalism and public relations.
I have worked in different capacities as a broadcast journalist including being the producer and presenter of Radio Univers’ newspaper review programme in Ga and the Head of Production. Between January 2003 and August 2007, I was the presenter of Radio Univers’ morning show, a current affairs programme dubbed “TIME FOR NATION BUILDING”. I have presented several papers and attended many workshops and conferences.
I was a reporter for the “ENVOY” Newspaper between August 2004 and November 2005 and have also edited a couple of e-newsletters.
I have led several teams to offer media & communications consultancy services to many clients in both public and private sectors of the country and I am an expert in Proposal Writing & Business Plan Development.
I am the CEO of RAANOD Consult and the Founder & Executive Director of Free World Foundation, a legally registered non-governmental organisation that subscribes to humanitarian values and practices.
I have been the Programmes Manager of Radio Univers since September 2005 and the presenter of the station’s flagship current affairs programme dubbed “BEHIND THE HEADLINES”.
I have over ten years experience in broadcasting. I joined Radio Univers 105.7 fm in August 1998 as a student volunteer broadcast journalist when I first entered the University of Ghana as a level 100 student and has since undertaken various sandwich courses in the areas of broadcast journalism and public relations.
I have worked in different capacities as a broadcast journalist including being the producer and presenter of Radio Univers’ newspaper review programme in Ga and the Head of Production. Between January 2003 and August 2007, I was the presenter of Radio Univers’ morning show, a current affairs programme dubbed “TIME FOR NATION BUILDING”. I have presented several papers and attended many workshops and conferences.
I was a reporter for the “ENVOY” Newspaper between August 2004 and November 2005 and have also edited a couple of e-newsletters.
I have led several teams to offer media & communications consultancy services to many clients in both public and private sectors of the country and I am an expert in Proposal Writing & Business Plan Development.
I am the CEO of RAANOD Consult and the Founder & Executive Director of Free World Foundation, a legally registered non-governmental organisation that subscribes to humanitarian values and practices.
I have been the Programmes Manager of Radio Univers since September 2005 and the presenter of the station’s flagship current affairs programme dubbed “BEHIND THE HEADLINES”.
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